(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to dishwasher racks or baskets. In particular, it relates to a type of rack which will hold the nipple and cap components of infant nursing or feeding bottles while washing, rinsing and drying the components in a dishwasher.
(2) Description of Prior Art
In the past, to assure that infant feeding bottles were properly sanitized prior to their use, it has been necessary to perform "sterilizing" operations whereby the bottles, as well as the nipple, ring and cap components associated with the bottles, were immersed in boiling water for a period of time. In the alternative, the bottle and these components would be exposed to a pressurized steam atmosphere at temperatures above the boiling point of water. Devices and apparatus associated with these "sterilizing" operations have included covered containers filled with water and adapted to hold bottles and their associated nipple and cap components. Such containers normally were heated on a stove or by an internal electrical heating element to boil the water, thereby producing steam to sterilize the bottle and its components. Also, autoclaves have been used wherein higher sterilizing temperatures may be obtained due to the maintaining of the steam at greater than atmospheric pressure.
While such methods and devices are useful for sanitizing infant feeding bottles, they require special care and attention in use. Also, these devices were relatively expensive to purchase and of limited usefulness as they are seldom used for longer than one year after the birth of an infant when the child is weaned from the bottle.
Manufacturers of automatic dishwashers now offer, as features of some of their machines, special "sanitizing" operating cycles whereby rinse water is heated in the machine to temperatures of 180.degree. Fahrenheit or higher and then circulated through spray washers and onto articles contained in the holding racks of the machine. The advantage of such a "sanitizing" cycle is that rinse water temperatures in excess of those normally provided by the domestic hot water heater may be obtained.
It has been found that the temperatures provided during "sanitizing" rinse cycles or even water temperatures as low as 140.degree. Fahrenheit, can provide quite adequate sanitization of infant feeding bottles and their associated nipple and cap components. In practice a bottle may be placed on a holder in the glassware rack with the open mouth of the bottle usually facing downwardly towards the spray washer apparatus. However, no suitable means presently exists for holding the detached nipple, ring and cap components for washing and sanitization in conventional automatic dishwasher racks. Attempts have been made to hold such nipple and cap components in conventional dishwasher article racks and baskets but these attempts have failed, primarily because such components, being small and light in weight, cannot be maintained in proper position for thorough washing and rinsing. These components are apt to be thrown about inside the machine by the force of the impinging spray from the spray washers. Covered baskets, as known in the prior art, are not suitable for this purpose because they include no provision for securely positioning small, light articles in a proper orientation for thorough washing and rinsing. Similarly, article-positioning devices, intended for use with dishwashing machine racks, are known in the prior art. However, these earlier devices are not suitable for holding the nipple and cap components of infant-feeding bottles. Prior art known to this inventor includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ 2,710,617 6/1955 James 3,182,854 5/1965 Geller D 202,569 10/1965 Maslow 3,217,890 11/1965 Maslow D 204,076 3/1966 Maslow 3,288,155 11/1966 Swetnam 3,289,683 12/1966 Tomlin D 213,130 1/1969 Keen 3,451,557 6/1969 Stoddard 4,046,261 9/1977 Yake D 254,187 2/1980 Freese ______________________________________